With the numbers crunched, it wasn’t surprising to see who came out on top. New York City leads the rest of the country in both the number (143) of and dollar amount ($42,281,500) of SBA-backed loans granted to women in the last year, a critical element of starting any business.
The number two city on the list—taking the place of last year’s second spot, San Francisco—is Houston, Texas, followed by Dallas. According to the AMEX OPEN State of Women-owned Business Report, Texas is in the top fastest-growing states for female led firms (with Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina and Mississippi keeping it company). Combined, the sister cities boast more than 355,000 women-owned firms that pull in upwards of $66 million each year. Add San Antonio–the No. 15 Best City for Women In Business that boasts an impressive 67.1% growth in women’s businesses—to the mix and you’re looking at $87 million. In Texas, bigger (business) is definitely a sign of success.
As far as Southern Belles go, women business owners in Atlanta (No. 5) are killing it. The SBA granted more than $18 million in loans to 19 businesses in the past year, and women-owned businesses have reported revenues of just shy of $30 million. Atlanta is among the five metro areas as measured by the AMEX OPEN report where growths in women-owned firms are experiencing the fastest growth (with other Best Cities No. 3 Dallas, No. 15 San Antonio, No. 4 Washington DC and No. 14 Baltimore).
No. 1 New York, New York
No. 2 Houston, Texas
No. 3 Dallas, Texas
No. 4 Washington, DC
No. 5 Atlanta, Georgia
No. 7 San Francisco, California
No. 8 Columbus, Ohio
No. 9 Denver, Colorado
No. 10 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
No. 11 San Diego, California
No. 12 Indianapolis, Indiana
No., 12 Minneapolis, Minnesota
No. 13 Kansas City, Missouri
No. 14 Baltimore, Maryland
No. 15 San Antonio, Texas
What do you think? Is this accurate? Comment below, I’d love to hear what cities you think should be on the list!
Inspired,
LaShanda
P.S. visit our website to purchase your Success Conference tickets today at www.ldgaryceo.com